Make a quick and easy baby quilt using moda scrap bag strips. rnrnThis was my first quilt and I loved it so much I am now completely addicted to quilting!
Hi, all! Friday is here once again, and that means it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on! I've been chasing a squirrel this week...
Make a quick and easy baby quilt using moda scrap bag strips. rnrnThis was my first quilt and I loved it so much I am now completely addicted to quilting!
FREE QAYG ALONG PART 11We’re obsessed with string quilts! And they are super easy, super fun and beginner friendly, so we thought you might like to make one too. This week we were invited to make some short videos for Spotlight’s Quilting Expo, so we went totally over the top and made a 3 part series on how to make a quilt as you go string quilt from start to finish. This series is perfect for the very beginner or for those that want to try their hand at making a quilt as you go quilt. It’s full
You’ll Love How Quickly It Goes Together! Select two packs of 5″ charms squares for this quick and easy quilt. Layer cakes and fat quarters will work too. Just be sure to choose a wide variety of prints to add interest to the quilt. Charm squares make it so easy to get this quilt started, …
Hi, all! This week I found a great pin on Pinterest and immediately put it in my Oh Scrap! page - but it got me started thinking about another great way to use your scraps! Isn't that a great pillow? It's even finished in my favorite way - with binding, just like a quilt. This is a quick, easy way to refresh your house, even providing seasonal pops of color. Here are some scrappy pillows I've made recently... This pillow was made literally from the tiny scraps left over from a quilt I made... ...and this one was made with bonus HSTs and narrow strips left over from another project! This pillow and the one below were also made with bonus HSTs. FYI bonus HSTs are created by sewing a second line when you are putting corners on a block, such as a snowball block, and creating a small HST out of what would normally be thrown away. Here's another example of pillows made from bonus HSTs - are you sensing a theme here? Seriously, though, I just can't bear to throw away perfectly good fabric... And this pillow is made from the simplest kind of scrap block - an easy two-fabric block done large. If you have orphan blocks hanging around, this kind of pillow is even easier! Just add strips around your orphan block until it reaches the size you want. The next two are a little bit different, but are good examples of up-cycling... My daughter made the embroidered piece that is the center of this scrappy pillow cover - originally, a wall hanging set in an embroidery hoop. When she redecorated, she wanted to save her handiwork, and asked me make it into something useful. I had a lot of scraps left over from Emmy's pennant quilt and created a postage stamp "frame" for the needlework piece. Definitely a win-win!! And this pillow was made using a long-treasured piece of needlepoint I found in my grandmother's stash, turning a piece stored for years into a useful and beautiful pillow that reminds me every day of the woman who taught me to love the fiber arts and do them well. A simple envelope closure on the back means you don't even need to find a zipper! It's also a great way to use up those random fat quarters hanging around your stash - I usually make my backs by folding two 22" pieces of fabric in half so that the back is actually a double layer of fabric. And there's usually binding scraps in my box to finish off the pillow cover. And when you want to switch your pillow covers out for a fresh seasonal take, they store easily either laid flat on a shelf or hung from pants hangers in your closet, ready to be brought out again when your mood or the season changes! Feeling inspired yet? *&*&*&*&*&*&* And yes, I'm still working on my Gypsy Wife quilt! This week I added Pershing to my Color Wheel block... One more and it will be a party! This week's block went pretty easily - I cut some of the pieces a little larger to allow for distortion and trimmed as needed to keep it square, and still used a very scant 1/4" seam, but other than that it's right by the pattern. And I'm loving how the Latitude scraps are looking in these blocks!! Take that, you little scrap monster, you!!! Hugs! Sarah SaveSave
Misty Mountains is a quick, fun, and easy modern quilt pattern perfect for a beginner quilter and up! Misty Mountains quilt comes in 3 sizes!
Ahoy, ye landlubbers, scallywags and sailors! Find yer sea legs or walk the plank! This free Ahoy Sailor quilt pattern will have ye strap'n on yer boots and set'n sail! Arrrrr!With only one quilt block to master, you will be feeling as confident as 'ol Cap'n Jack Sparrow himself. One quilt block, a few stripes,Continue Reading...
Quilt Block Mania is underway again! And this time we are headed to the desert. Yes – think hot, prickly and pretty! Each of our talented quilters has created a block for our desert oasis.
Make a quick and easy baby quilt using moda scrap bag strips. rnrnThis was my first quilt and I loved it so much I am now completely addicted to quilting!
Quilting is a craft that has been around since, according to Emporia State University, 3400 B.C. Known for sure to have been used by the Egyptian Pharaohs, quilting eventually spread from the Middle East to Europe. For sure, bed quilts were used in..
Inspired by a quilt that my friend Mary shared with me from Pinterest, I decided to design an Ombré HST quilt mathematically. This was the result. I chose to use a gradient of eight different values, numbered 1-8 from lightest to darkest. I began by drawing a 7 by 9 rectangle in my graph notebook and ...continue reading →
Hi, all! It's time for another scrappy post, but today I am driving to Savannah, GA for QuiltCon 2017 - I'm so excited! - so I'm just going to share some inspiration with you today. First of all, I want to be sure you have a chance to see this fabulous post by Kat of Kat & Cat Quilts. If you don't know Kat already, she is the brains behind Covered In Love, which was one of our Hands2Help charities last year. She is also, by choice, a scrappy quilter, and she has a great idea for using up some of those precious small scraps that we hoard... Bookmarks! What a great idea! Her technique is very simple and you can read all about it here. And here are some pretties I've seen on Pinterest this week - lovely quilts one and all! Isn't this a cool way to do a charm quilt? I love the focus point the white squares give this one... And I have long wanted to do a bookshelf quilt, but wasn't willing to commit to the "realistic" look - and yet I really love the way this one looks! Less realism, but still gets its point across! And oh, the color!! I love the background color in these next two - grays can make all those beautiful scraps really POP! And this one just makes me smile! You can make this using either four mini-charm packs, or by cutting one regular charm pack in to quarters - a great way to use up that random charm pack you've got sitting in your stash! You can find the links for all of these quilts and more on my "Oh Scrap!" Pinterest page - click here to go there! So - - - do you feel inspired now? I'm thinking about taking my sewing machine with me to Savannah - wonder if I'll have time to do any sewing??? Hugs! Sarah
Alright, my friends! I've shown you three of my Deco sample quilts so far, but before I show you the fourth, I want to take a moment to show you pattern tester quilts! In case you missed it, the Deco Quilt pattern is now available! If you haven't already read my initial blog post about the two-color Deco quilt that I made, be sure to check that out here. You'll find my inspiration, pattern sizes fabric requirements and other details about Deco. Every time I release a new pattern into the world, I love to do a blog post all about my pattern testers! This talented group of quilters generously give their time, energy and precious fabric to help me make the best patterns possible! Deco was especially technical, so I had a lot of dialogue around certain topics. We went back and forth on certain sewing instructions, diagrams and overall how the quilt comes together. Let's take a look at their beautiful Deco quilts! First, let's take a look at the testers who are carrying quilt kits. Many of my pattern testers conveniently have online fabric shops, which makes it really easy for you to quickly pick your fabrics and know how it will look before it's finished! QUILTS KITS Mary of @rosiegirlquilts used gorgeous jewel tones to create this masterpiece! They have kits in their shop to recreate this exact quilt, which can be found here. . Laura of @finleyfabric created the most stunning combination of fabrics. I absolutely LOVE the emerald background. I *almost* did something similar for my cover quilt, but I ended up going a different direction. I'm so glad that she took the plunge with this! It really paid off. You can find her kits here. . Claire of @thestitchsaloon is an Australian based shop that ships worldwide! She made a bright and cheery baby quilt and has kits for them in her shop! . LONG ARM DISCOUNT I was extremely excited to have a long-arm quilter test Deco for me! She is so generously offering a 20% off discount to anyone who sends a Deco quilt to her before July 9th. The coupon code is DECO20. Check out her Instagram, @browneyedquilter and/or website for more details. And isn't her quilt stunning? . . Next, we have Katie of @katesmakesandcreates created this gorgeous, kind of moody throw size Deco quilt. She used Kona Leather and Telio Swiss Dot in Rose. An alternative would be Essex Linen in Rose. I absolutely love how this turned out! . Now let's look at Cat, of @workinghandsstudio. She created this really fun baby quilt for the newest addition of their family. :) I really love how the subtle background print adds a little extra *sparkle*! . .Erin, of @lovesewmodern really knocked it out of the park with these colors! That darker background really makes everything else POP. . Claire of @claireandhercrafts helped me do a trial run of a certain concept that I was considering for the pattern. You might notice that her baby quilt includes only Block 3B, where as the final pattern calls for Block 3A. Essentially this means that her quilt is missing one of the tiny squares at the very corner of one of the blocks. I ended up changing my mind on this to add more drama to the quilt, and Claire was so kind to do a test run of the first version so that I could see how it looked. Her quilt is still equally stunning! . Now let's look at Nuria of @fabricstork's baby Deco quilt! She briefly had kits for this but they sold out within a day or two. And rightfully so, isn't this fun?? . . Robin of @seamedtobe created a gorgeous Throw size Deco quilt that is just STUNNING! I loveeee how this looks! She used Kona Leaf and Kona Haze as the background. . Next up, we have Nicki of @wovenandwoolly! She sewed up her quilt before I made a pretty big change in the pattern. If you can see where the corner of her little square are chopped off....that's totally my fault!! (sad day). If you make the baby size, notice that the solid background squares are 1/2
Hi friends! Today I have a really special (long) post for you! Today I want to share a quilt that took me two years and about 85 hours to...
Super Star Baby Boy Quilt Kit -By The Sea Finished size: Baby quilt 36" x 36" Quilt Top & Backing Kit includes: All fabrics to make a quilt top Binging fabric Backing fabric Paper pattern by me under Quilt Pattern Studio (www.QuiltPatternStudio.com) Precut Kit includes: (If you don't want to cut pieces) All precut pieces to make a quilt top Binding strips Backing fabric Paper pattern by me under Quilt Pattern Studio (www.QuiltPatternStudio.com) Not included: Batting Fabrics used in the kit : Paintbrush Studio Fabrics - By The Sea collection Introducing the Super Star Baby Quilt Kit, a contemporary twist on a classic design, perfect for adding a touch of modern charm to any nursery. This kit offers a simple yet stylish approach to quilting. Whether you're looking to create a thoughtful gift for a new parent or simply want to indulge in a creative project, the Super Star Baby Quilt Kit is the perfect choice. Embrace simplicity and style with this modern take on a timeless classic. Skill level: Confident beginner
Today i thought i'd write about this old red and white checkerboard quilt of mine.....there have been so many enquiries about it over the years even though it is such a very simple design........ .................the picture below is one of the most 'pinned' of all my blog pictures..... ............so in answer to those lovely readers who have asked for details about this quilt here are a few.....it is made from 4inch squares and i paper pieced it by hand ( quite a few years ago)........ .............i used any scraps of fabric from my stash for the coloured squares as long as there was some red in the pattern..........then i arranged them alternately with plain white squares to create the classic checkerboard pattern.......there are 225 squares altogether......... ...........when the squares were sewn together (in rows of 15) i added a 3 inch white border all round.... ............i decided to hand quilt around each square just inside the seam and then to quilt a 2 inch square in the centres..........i used i inch quilting tape to give me a guide line to sew the centre quilting squares....... ...........we have used this quilt for years now and it has been washed and tumble dried many times and is still fresh and new looking...... .............it is such an easy pattern and when i made it it was without much though at all ;).....yet it works and is pleasing to the eye in its simplicity...........a true scrappy patchwork quilt....... ............the backing is one of my favourite pink and white candy striped fabrics (though if i had made this quilt now i would have bought a red and white fabric specially and not just used one i had the most of in my stash at the time).......and (another favourite) red and white gingham binding............ .............i hope this post will help to answer all the questions this quilt has received over the years from lovely readers both here and on facebook :)............x ..............here is a more recent shot of the checkerboard quilt on my quilt ladder and below with the little bears from my new book modern vintage gifts.............. ...........this past week has been quite a rollercoaster ride for me and i am glad of my little crafty world to escape to sometimes and of my dear friends and family who have shown me so much kindness....and that includes you my sweet blog friends too of course..........x ...............thank you to everyone who visits me here in my little blog space......it is always a pleasure to know you are here and to read your kind comments.............wishing you all a wonderful week ahead with sweet flowers and peaceful crafty times to enjoy.........back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi, all! Welcome to this year's tutorial series, Fat Quarter Frenzy! Born from the inspiration of my oldest granddaughter, who so kindly pointed out that I had a "butt-load of fat quarters", I'll be sharing six simple quilt tutorials, all using fat quarters as their source of fabric. Of course, you can use yardage or scraps if you choose, but the tutorials are written using fat quarters. If you're like me, you love to buy fat quarter bundles because they are such a fun way to get your hands on a full fabric line. All those beautiful fabrics just waiting to be turned into quilts - but sometimes they just languish away on the shelf, looking pretty but not much else. So let's use them! A word here about fat quarters! As I've been prepping my own for use in these tutorials, I have found serious discrepancies in the sizes of fat quarters. By definition, a fat quarter should be 18" x 20-22", but I have found many of my bundled fat quarters to be only approximately 17" wide when squared up. So for purposes of these tutorials, I am assuming that fat quarters are 17" x 20". Yours may be larger than that, and I trust that you will find good use for any scraps that are left over! With that being said, let's get started with our first quilt tutorial, which I call "Meet Me In St. Louis" in honor of its classic block, the St. Louis 16-patch. I was not familiar with this block before, but it certainly lends itself to fat quarters, as you will see that there is very little waste. Meet Me In St. Louis A Fat Quarter Friendly Quilt Materials: 16 Fat Quarters (FQ) measuring (squared up) a minimum of 17” x 20”: 8 light (L) FQ, 8 dark (D) FQ *or two contrasting colors can be used* Cutting: Square up your FQ, using the selvage edge as your constant straight. Line it up on the straight of your cutting mat, then trim the right and left edges to straight. Leaving the FQ in place on the mat, cut four strips 4.25” wide by 20”+ long. Repeat for all 16 FQs. You should now have 32 llght strips and 32 dark strips. Assembly: Divide your strips into 16 sets, pairing two identical light (L) strips with two identical dark (D) strips. Assemble strip sets, alternating the strips in a LDLD pattern. I recommend starting sewing from the selvage ends so the sets are basically straight on that end for economy’s sake. Press seams towards the dark strips. (If you are using contrasting colors, press toward the same color on all strip sets) Crosscut the strip sets in the following manner: laying your strip set with the strips running horizontal on the mat, line up the straight bottom with the straight on your mat. Cut off the selvage edges. Then cut the strip set into 4 4.25” wide block strips. Repeat for all strip sets, being sure to keep the block strips from each strip set together. Take the four block strips and arrange them in a checkerboard 16-patch pattern. Your seams should nest into each other. Assemble the block. Repeat for all 16 blocks. Arrange your 16-patch blocks and assemble your quilt! Yields one approximately 60” square quilt. *&*&*&*&*&*&* And there you have it - the first of six tutorials for this year's series, Fat Quarter Frenzy! I hope you'll enjoy making these quilts as much as I have. Most are quick and simple, perfect for comfort quilts to give away - and hopefully they'll help you use up some stray fat quarters if you also have a "butt-load" of them! See you next Sunday with another fun quilt tutorial! Hugs! Sarah
Hi, all! Seems like every time I open up Instagram these days, I see more and more gorgeous scrappy quilts! I'm busy working on ano...
I love (to look at ) quilts. I do not possess patience or preciseness that is involved in the making. But that did not stop me from putting together a roundup of all the pretty
Do you have a favorite quilt pattern that uses fabric yardage? Change that sewing pattern to an ombré quilt by using fat quarters - full tutorial!
Learn how to make these Amazing Potato Chip blocks with scraps to create a beautiful scrappy quilt. Free Printable Tutorial Download!
I've had the chance to review the book Free Motion Quilting for Beginners (and those who think they can't), by Molly Hanson. I love that title! I'm a big proponent of quilting your own quilts, as you know, and I've read a lot of books about free motion quilting. I like how everyone presents the information in their own personal way....there is always more to learn! This book presents all the practical information you need to get started. More importantly, it gives you the confidence to jump in and give free motion quilting a try. There are 15 projects in the book that encourage you to start small and increase your comfort level with free motion quilting before you tackle something larger, like a quilt. What I love most about this book is Molly's tone of encouragement throughout the text and the projects. She is great at guiding you though the entire process! I've done a lot of free motion quilting and I love how relaxing it can be. I also know how easy it can be to get in a rut. I challenged myself to get out of my box, so to speak and try some new-to-me, designs. I gave this squared off stippling pattern a try and it went pretty well! I had to slow down and think about where I was going from time to time, but it was fun! I could see doing this all over a whole quilt. I also quilted a few swatches of different designs and I turned them into a set of coasters. Binding them was a little fiddly, but totally worth it! (I can say that now that they are done. Ha!) These are great because I not only used scraps of fabric, but scraps of batting as well. Hurray! I'm happy to count these as scrap project #94/101. If you would like the chance to win an e-book copy of Free Motion Quilting for Beginners, please leave me a comment in this post. In your comment, I'd love to hear what your favorite go-to FMQ pattern is. Or, if you are new to FMQ, I'd like to hear what pattern you would like to master. I will pick winner in a few days!
Confused about wadding? Learn all about quilt wadding (that's batting if you're American!) in our handy guide
Explore the many free jelly roll quilt patterns as well as other jelly roll projects. These fun precuts reduce cutting and speed up sewing!
One of the hottest things among quilters online these days is swapping. People swap blocks, small quilts, particular fabrics and more. I thought it would be fun to show you some of the swap blocks I've made and talk about how a swap works. Of course there are endless variations, so this is just the
It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?! The Same Sky quilt pattern actually went live in the shop back in June but life has been pretty unpredictable since. Don’t worry…I’ll explain since it goes hand…
Keep your creative juices flowing with over 100 free quilt blocks rounded up in one place. Includes everything from basics, traditional and paper piecing.
Sharing another beautiful way to display children’s art today. My friend Amy made a lovely quilt from drawings her children made for their school auction. I was so inspired by it and asked if she could share a bit about her process with us today…
If you follow my Instagram you will know I'm obsessed with hummingbirds. These past two weeks I have been sharing videos of feeding them with a hand feeder and a few have landed on my hand. Pure joy! I fill my garden full of flowers that they love and I can spend all day just watching and taking photos of these tiny birds. Our summers are short and they will be migrating south soon so I'm enjoying my last couple of weeks with them. I have this glass feeder I put in the maple tree that they love and guard furiously. They also like to guard the feeders in the backyard by sitting on top of my metal hummingbird. Love this pose! I have two baskets of Hummingbirds Lunch that they love. They also love the Salvia in the garden. I have it in a few colours. I thought I was the biggest sucker for buying this 'hummingbird swing' but they love it! I also purchased a window feeder and was surprised at how much they use it. Its fun to watch them at the window from inside the house. If you want to see my videos of using the hand feeder just check out my Instagram reels. My account is tamarackshack2.0
Modern gray and white half-square triangle quilt. Simple instructions included.
